XBox One S – what we think…

Our editor of Live Magazine recently got his hands on an Xbox One S along with a couple of games. Here’s his thoughts so far…

The XBOX ONE S is slimmer and smaller overall

I’m the first to admit this is way overdue. Not an Xbox One post but that I’ve been slow to get my hands on a current gen console. Particularly if you knew how committed I use to be to getting new tech and playing games. When the N64 was released I had it, the Sony and a Sega console or two along with a high spec PC to play on. I would upgrade faithfully with each console generation until the PS4 and the Xbox One. Why? I don’t know. I guess I was too busy with life and kept putting it off til later. Well, later never came until the other day.

Doing some articles on the Xbox One S got me thinking – I need to get back into gaming more regularly. I need to bury myself and suspend my disbelief and play some games that get my mind off life, the U.S elections (lol) and anything else that’s been keeping me busy.

So when the One S arrived I knew it was time to really blow away the cobwebs and spend some quality time playing. First thing I looked into is what is the difference between the “S” and the previous Xbox One.

Differences:

Design – it looks very different. Smaller too.

The controller is different too – has a grip so it doesn’t slip and has more range for the wireless connection.

4k – for some this is a big plus, the ability to play 4k video. While there isn’t a lot of content – it is coming and you will need a 4k TV. It also upscales non 4k games so they look better.

HDR – if you’re a photographer, like me, you understand HDR – High Dynamic Range. This means a wider colour gamut and higher dynamic range – shadows will have more detail as will the extremely bright areas (highlights).

IR blaster so you can switch on your TV and audio receiver without needing a bunch of remote controls.

Plus things like the USB port now on the front making it easier to plug stuff in.